The Farm Journal Illustrated Rural Directory of Monroe County, New ...

Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · County Directories Collection
MONROE COUNTY
belly or stand up, and in extreme cases
the sow has spells of delirium, in which
she may destroy her young.
Cause.—Injudicious feeding, overfeeding
on milk-producing foods. Do not
feed sow quite full rations for few days
just before and after farrowing.
' Treatment—Give sow plenty of cool
clean water; bathe the swollen glands
for half hour at a time with water as
warm as she will bear, dry thoroughly
with soft cloth and give good dry pen.
If bowels seem constipated give the sow
internally one-half pint pure linseed oil.
(Never use the boiled linseed oil used
by painters; it is poisonous.) If the
sow starts killing her young, or has no
mule for them, it is best to take most of
them, or all, away from her and feed by
hand with spoon or ordinary rubber
nipple and bottle. For this use one part
boiled water and three parts cow's milk.
The pigs may be returned to the sow if
her milk returns.
SCOURS among pigs is another common
and very troublesome though not dangerous
disease. This disease is not confined
to any particular season, but is
more common in the wet, damp weather
of April and early May than in other
seasons of the year.
As in thumps, remove the cause. This
disease is almost invariably caused by
some improper food eaten by the sow.
A sour swill barrel is often the cause
It should be borne in mind that pigs once
affected will be more liable to a recurrence
of the disease than those never
affected, ?nd greater care should be used
with thef i for some weeks till they fully
recover.
CONSTIPATION.—Cause, improper feeding,
exclusive grain diet, lack of exercise.
Not dangerous in itself, but frequently
followed by prolapsus of the rectum,
or what is commonly called piles.
The constant straining causes this. The
only remedy is laxative food and exercise.
The protruding bowel must be
washed clean as soon as seen and well
covered with olive oil or lard. It should
then be returned by applying firm pressure
with the hand, and when once in
place should be retained by three or
more stitches of waxed linen or heavy
silk thread, passed from side to side
through the margins of the opening, care
being used to take a deep hold in the
skin.
While this operation is being done the
animal should be held by the hind legs
by two assistants, thus elevating the hind
quarters. Allow stitches to remain two
or three weeks;
RHEUMATISM.—A disease of the joints,
manifested by pain, heat and lameness,
with swelling of. one or several joints.
There may be high fever and loss of appetite.
May be acute and rapid in its
course, or slow, chronic and resulting in
permanent enlargements of the bones of
the legs, especially the knee and hock.
Causes.—Primarily deranged digestion,
lack of exercise; dampness and exposure
to draughts of cold air also a cause.
The tendency to rheumatism is hereditary
in certain families of hogs.
Treatment.—Endeavor to prevent by
proper exercise, food and attention to
surroundings. Do not breed rheumatic
specimens even if fully recovered from
lameness. In acute cases an adult hog
should have twice or three times daily
one drachm salicylate soda.
ASTHMA sometimes occurs in adult
hogs.
Symptoms.—Shortness of breath on
lease exercise, noisy breathing, more or
less intermittent. Do not breed; butcher
early.
CONGESTION OF THE LUNGS sometimes '
occurs, the result of driving or chasing.
May be rapidly fatal.
Symptoms. — Sudden shortness of
breath and sudden great weakness. The
hog is not adapted to rapid driving; if it
must be driven at all, give plenty of
time.
PNEUMONIA (LUNG FEVER) may follow
congestion of the lungs; may be Induced
by crowding too many hogs together,
when they heat and become
moist, after which they are in poor condition
to withstand cold.
Symptoms.—Loss of appetite, chills,
short cough, quick breathing.
Treatment.—Separate sick at once
from the drove; give dry quarters with
abundance of dry bedding; tempt appetite
with small quantities of varied food.
Apply to sides of chest, enough tq
moisten the skin, twice daily, alcohol and
turpentine equal parts; continue until
skin becomes somewhat tender.
TETANUS^ (LOCK-JAW).—Caused by introduction
into the system of the tetanus
bacteria, which gains entrance through a
wound.
Symptoms.—A stiffness of more or
less the entire muscular system, generally
most marked in the jaws, which are
greatly stiffened. Eating very slow, or
entirely stopped; appetite not lost.
Treatment.—Some cases recover if
370